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Getting High in the Maritimes
Backpacking New
Brunswick's Highest Peak |
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| We were returning
from the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick, when we
decided to take a slight detour on our way back
home. While the Fundy Coast was everything we
hoped it would be and more, all that sea air gave
us a strong urge to head into the mountains. We
had heard so many good things about Mount
Carleton we decided, to hell with the itinerary,
we're in the area, lets go! A quick call back to
the office and we were on our way. Mount Carlton is the
Maritimes highest peak at 820m, and fittingly
they’ve built a provincial park around it.
Unlike some provincial parks, this is a real
wilderness area and you won't be disappointed if
you're looking for some backcountry splendor. A
little off the beaten track, the park is well
worth going out of your way for.
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Our plans
were simple, we wanted to hike the mountain and maybe do
some wilderness camping. It was late in the season so the
park's wilderness sites weren't full and our hopes and
wishes were coming true. Good as it sounded, the park
warden gave us pause when he told us the backcountry
campsites are a serious hike up the side of Carleton's
flanks. The though of a cold start with a 50lb pack on
can generate a wealth of creative excuses. |
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After a short
debate, our brief moment of hesitation ended when
he began describing the view from the summit -
bad knees, allergies, lower back pain all these
thoughts dissolved as we took in his
superlatives. We almost felt like he was coaching
us; starting with the initial hard reality to
ground us and see what we're made out of,
followed by wave of encouragement, once he was
sure we had the physical and mental resources for
the trip. Smart man! |
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| The drive to the
trial head from the front country camping sites
is about 7km. When you reach the parking lot and
get geared up you'll be faced with two choices.
You can take the main trail up or head up the
fire road. If you're day hiking the choice is
more difficult but if you're backpacking into the
campsites the choice becomes easier. The main
trail is the shortest way to the campsites, which
are just below the summit. The fire road will
require you to go up and over the summit then
back down to the designated sites. We were
planning to keep the summit hike for tomorrow so
we didn't have any problem choosing the shorter
route along the main trail. The main trail is the
more interesting if you're day hiking so you may
want to save the best for last and take the fire
road up. |
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The weather was a
little overcast as we set out just before noon
but we heard nothing but good things about
tomorrow's forecast. The main trail takes you
5.2km to the summit. Mercifully the trail starts
slowly going downhill a bit, then leveling out
before beginning to climb. While never very
aggressive, if you're carrying a backpack you're
legs won't let you forget your climbing. Some
sections are rocky with lots of roots in places,
making good foot wear a must. |
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| The hikes
mid-section follows a beautiful brook, with rocks
that are heavily moss covered, the whole scene
enticing you to pull out your camera. After a lunch on one of the
large trailside rocks, we continued on to the
spur which would bring us to the tent sites.
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| Campsites 1&
2 are separated from 3 & 4, which may be
something to consider depending on your party's
size. Regardless, both areas are close enough
together if you’re a group and far enough
apart if you want some privacy. The sites are
only about 1km from the top; a sweet distance for
a leisurely stroll to the summit. We took our
time setting up camp, reveling in the solitude
and enjoying our surroundings. Dinner was quick
and easy and we faded fast from the climb so we
crawled into our bags early. The next day brought the
sun up over the mountain and we had an early
breakfast. We did a little exploring in the
vicinity of the camping area then packed our gear
and headed for the peak.
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| The trail splits
a short distance from the campsites, providing
two options. One trail turns into a ridge walk,
while the other stays in the forest and is a much
more protected route. It was a beautiful day so
we chose the ridge trail. Near the top, the
hiking becomes very aggressive and you'll find
yourself completely exposed. You don’t want
to take route in bad weather or high winds,
particularly if you're carrying a backpack. The
last section to the peak is essentially a
scramble. On the mountains top there is an old
fire station, with heavy guy wires strapping it
to the mountain. This paints a clear picture of
the winds they can get up here. The view from the
top is phenomenal, a full 360 degrees. You can
see as far as the state of Main in the southwest
and into Quebec's Chic-Chocs when you spin
around. The whole of the Maritimes lays at your
feet. We made a point of staying a few hours to
contemplate the view and see where our thoughts
might take us. |
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| When the time
came to head back down we decided to take the
fire road back, but you have the choice, since
they both end up back at the parking lot. To
reach the fire road, you follow the ridge line
passed the fire station and towards the lake then
down the other side of the mountain. |
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| The trail is very
rocky (I can't imagine a vehicle of any sort
navigating it) even for a fire road at this
point, but it levels out as you move farther down
the mountain. You stay on the jeep track until
you find a section which sweeps completely to the
right (ignore the trail at the old ranger
station, the trail you’re looking for is a
little further on). |
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The trail is
fairly easy the rest of the way, easy enough that you may
encounter some mountain bikers on this shared use
section. Our endless chatter shortened the hike back and
we found ourselves in the parking lot sooner than
expected. Even
though we were already behind schedule, we couldn't miss
the chance to see more of the park, so we dutifully
phoned in to the office to let them know that we would
stay on another night at one of the park's campgrounds
(also to see if we still had jobs). This would give us a
chance to explore some of the parks interesting details
we saw from the ridge. When we finally left the next day
we made a decision to make this our prime objective next
year, allowing us to hike some of the other peaks in the
park. Next time, we'll make a point of having a lot more
time to spend in this amazing backcountry wilderness.
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Note:
At the wilderness campsites, you are not allowed open
fires so be sure to carry a backpacking stove. There is a
food storage cache for storing your food near the sites.
You must register before setting out. Reservations are
accepted and strongly advised. The hiking trail up
Mount Carleton connects to several of the parks other
trails. You can take advantage of this to build a longer
trip, but be advised there is only one backcountry
camping area in the park.
The International
Appalachian Trail cuts through the park and allows a
long distance hiker to head northwest into Quebec or
southwest into Maine and on to Georgia (if you really
can't get enough) on the "American" Appalachian
Trial. You can download guides for the New
Brunswick section of the Trail (PDF) and a Map
for the Carleton Section. Given the parks excellent
trails and its connection to the IAT, it would seem there
is a need for the development of several more wilderness
camping areas.
Out-There's Mount Carleton
Provincial Park
Mount
Carleton Provincial Park - From Tourism New Brunswick
Out-There's New Brunswick
New Brunswick
Tourism
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